This photo depicts a blissful moment in my day last week whilst back in Chamonix.
It’s so easy to post something like this and leave it at that, marvelling at the awe of experience and life.
The truth is, in that one run from the top of the mountain to the bottom, I experienced a myriad of experiences and emotions.
Five minutes before that was taken I did a spectacular face plant as I travelled through powder to hit an ice crust on a steep slope behind. I flew out of both skis and whacked my face – thank god for helmets and googles.
Five minutes before that I was bursting with pride watching my kids flying down the mountain.
10 minutes before that I was overjoyed to be reunited with dear Chamonix friends for a ski.
20 minutes before that I was so damn cold I wanted to cry and get on a plane straight back to Bali.
Five minutes after the photo the clouds came in and visibility was zero and I felt fearful.
Although perhaps an extreme window of time, it pretty much sums up life. A constant myriad of thoughts, feelings, emotions and experiences – all of which we feel so deeply we forget in the moment how quickly they pass.
And yes, sometimes some feeling states can stick around longer than others and you can see no end.
Yet our reality is created moment by moment giving rise to the possibility of something new. It’s all transitory.
Knowing and embracing this truth will enable you to feel it all – as this too will pass. This is a reminder to myself as much as anyone right now!
